elliott



(No Model.)

W. H. PRUEN, S'. POTIS, 8u C. J. ELLIOTT. DUST GOLLBGTOR FOR' PLOUR MILLS, am.

Patented Novl 7, 1882..

EGA

Y 1UNITE STATES ATENT trice.

WILLIAM H. FRUEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS TOWNSHIP, HENNEPIN COUNTY, AND SAMUEL POTTS AND CHARLES J. ELLIOTT, OF MINNEAPOLIS,.l\IlNN.

DUST-COLLECTOR FOR FLOUR-MILLS, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,071, dated November '7, 1882.

Application led October 29, 1881.

To all whomt't may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM HENRY FRUEN, SAMUEL PoT'rs, and CHARLES J ONES ELLIOTT, all citizens of the United States, and

said FRUEN a resident of Minneapolis township, and said Po'r'rs and ELLIOTT both residents of the city of Minneapolis, all in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have jointly invented a certain new and use- Io ful Improvement in Dust-Collectors for Flour- Mills, Ste., of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to apparatus for collecting the dust and similar impurities from I5 the air, especially that blown from middlingspurifiers and similar machines in flour-mills;

audit consists in the construction and the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specifically de 2o fined by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, portions of one side being broken out to show the arrangement of the cloth tubes and dust-trap. Fig. 3 is a detached detail View of the shaker-operating mechanism. Fig. 4 isa detached cross-sectional View of thc dust-trap valve. Fig. 5 represents a slight variation in the manner of con- 3o structing the cloth tubes.

A A2 are two circular heads connected together at equal distances apart by a series of angular-shaped cloth tubes, B, this cloth being of a texture adapted to catch and retard the dustfrom the airasitpasses through its meshes. Through the heads A A2, opposite each end of each of the tubes, angular ports a, corresponding to the shape ofthe tubes, are formed, so that communication may be obtained be 4o tween the heads Al A2 through the open-ended cloth tubes, as shown, and by no other means.

Above the head Al a short distance, another head, C', is arranged, and a short distance beneath the lower head A2 a fourth head, C2, is

similarly arranged, the four heads heilig con-` nected together by a number of upright posts orframes, D, and the remainder ofthe space be tween the heads A and G and A2 and C2 being covered with cotton cloth or other suitable 5o light material, the space between the heads AOformingadistributing-chamber,asherein- (No model.)

after shown. In the center of the head C is a spout, E, through which the dust-laden air enters.

F is an upright shaft journaledin the heads A A2, and provided at the upper end with a ratchet-wheel, G, adapted to be slowly revolved from the outside by a dog, b, and crank-wheel or other suitable device, H, as shown.

o' is a Hat plate conforming to thc shape of 6o the ports a, but large enough to cover about Oneand onehalf(1)of said ports, and adapted to be revolved over the surface of the head A by a rod, d, connecting it to the ratchet-Wheel G, the plate c thus forming a valve traveling over the ports a, and shutting them od', one after the other, as hereinafter shown. The rod d does not come in contact with the valve c', but is a short distance above it, and is counected to it by pins e, rising from the valve and passing loosely through the rod, so that while the"valve is drawn over the head Al by the rod and pins it is at the same time free to rise and fall slightly, and thus rest upon the head by its own weight and adapt itself to any irregularities of surface that may occur.

.Attached to the lower end of the shaft F is another valve, consisting ot' a hollow casing,g, about the size and form of the valve c', iu which a second valve, c2, tits, and is adapted to be held up against the under surface ofthe head A2 by springs g2, so that it will conform itself to any irregularities ofthesurt'ace of the head, the two parts c2 and'g completely tilling the space between the heads A2 and C2, and thus not only forming a shut-off valve to the lower seriesof ports, a, but also serving as a scraper or sweep to remove the dust from the head G2, as hereinafter setforth. The valves 0'02 are arranged to be at all times Opposite to each other. Hence they shut off the air frombotli ends of the same cloth tube, B, at the same time. The tubes B are provided near their f lower` ends with angular-shaped hoops li, between which and the head A2 the cloth is very 95 loose, (or a different quality of cloth may bc used.) so that the whole tube above the hoop may be loosened up by raising the latter, as shown in Fig. 3.

t" are a series of rods, one for each tube B, held by their upper ends in suitable guides, m, and with their lower ends ruiming down IOC through the head A2, and ending near the lower head G2. The hoops h are attached to these rods t by adjustable nuts t, so that the tubes may be adjusted to secure therequisite tension, and the rods are provided with springs i3, by which they are held down. By this arrangement,if the rods t" are forced upward the hoops 1L will be raised with them, loosening the cloth of the' tubes B into a loose, baggy condition, as shown in Fig. 3. Then when the rods are released the springs t3 will suddenlystretch the cloth downward again, and throw it into quick v-ibrations to remove any particles of adhering dust therefrom.

Attached to the end of the casing g is an inclined cam-lug,g4,which passes beneath the lower ends of the rods t" as the valves c c2 are revolved, and raises them up and allows them to fall again when it passes from beneath them, thus automatically shaping the cloth of the tubes B, while the valves c c2 have shut oft' 'the air.

As before stated, the space between the heads Al C forms a distributingchamber for the dust-laden air, so that lwhen said air enters at E it expands in this chamber, and passes down through the tubes in even, slow currents and without whirls or eddies. Hence a larger amount of the heavier particles of dust falls through the tubes without touching them. By these arrangements the dust-laden air enters the tubes B at their tops and passes downward in a line parallel with their sides, and as it approaches the bottom plate A2 it gradually turns toward the sides and passes out through the meshes of the cloth, the latter catching and retaining any dust that may be in the air, and allowing pure air only to escape. The dust in the air, being heavier than the air, falls down upon the lower head G2, while the dust that is caught bythe cloth is shaken loose by the spring-rodsi, as before described, while the tubes B are shut oft' by the valves c c2, the loosened dust, falling upon the lower valve, c2, is swept therefrom by the valve, when it moves onward and falls upon the lower head C2. As is well known, it is very essential that no aircurrents are permitted to passv through the clothwhile it is being shaken; hence the necessity for the sh ut-oi valve c c2.

L is an open port through one side et' the lower plate C2, into which the dust that has fallen from the tubes is scraped by the casing g', as before described. This port L opens into a trough-shaped box, one side of which, L2, is hinged at the top to the plate C2, and provided on the rear side with a weighted arm, L3, by which the lower edge of the hinged side L2 is held in contact with the remainder of the trough-shaped boX, as shown in Fig. 4.

Attached to the front of the sideLzis a rigid arm, L, passing forward and upward and projecting a short distance abovev the surface of the plate C2, so that thefront edge of the casing g may strike it in passing around and force it downward to open the hinged vside LZ and n permit the dust to escape.

g5 is a recess or groove formed in the lower sideof the casing g', into which the upper end `of the arm L4 rises after being forced down by the front edge of the casing g', so that the hinged side L2 will be held open only for a very brief period, to prevent the escape of the air. The thickness of theY casing between the recess g5 and the -front edge of the casing g is all that affects the valve L2. `Hence its thickness determines the time which the valve L2 shall be held open, and by making it thicker or thinner the valve may be held open for a longer or shorter period of time, as desired. By this means the valve L2 forms a dust-trap, (in connection with the casing g', which covers the port Ll while the valve L2 is open,) so that none of the air from the tubes B can escape through the port L', except what passes through the rear end of the groove g5, which will be so small asv not te affect the operation of the dcvice.

The head A will be made adjustable higher orlower by screws M, upon which it is mounted, so that the tubesB may be stretched tight when desired;

A very large percentage of the dust never comes in contact with the cloth of the tubes B, but falls directly upon the head C1Z and valve c2. This is a very important feature of our invention, as the dust-laden air is not driven through the cloth at right angles or nearly right angles thereto, as in all machines with which we are acquainted. This arrangement greatly lessens the amount of dust caught by the cloth. Hence the cleaning of the latter is not as troublesome a matter as formerly. By this arrangement, also, no eddies77 or whirls of the air are formed, as the force required to pass the air through the machine is only sufficient to form a slight cu-rrent, as the natural motion of the air is nearly enough to move it. Hence the air is not driven against obstacles and around corners. This is a great ICO IOS

IIO

advantage, as the dust is thus left free to fall through the air, the greater portion of the movement of the air being also downward. Still another important, advantage gained by these arrangements is the manner of shaking the cloth by loosening theY whole mass of the tube, B, and then suddenly stretching it again, by which means the particles of adhering dust are driven from the cloth toward the center, and then fall upon the valve c2 and do not come againin contact with the cloth. The particles of dust are thus removed from the cloth with great force and thoroughness.

In Fig. 5 we have shown one of the tubes B small at the top and large at the bottom, so that the sides are sloped outward. Hencethe dust once shaken loose cannot again come in contact with the cloth, as the particles in falling are carried farther away from the cloth the IIS I I n i Y Y g n lectin g fabric or texture, supported at the ends only and connecting` said heads, and the valves c e2, adapted to be revolved over and beneath said heads, whereby the air may be shut oft' from one or more of said tubes B in succession, substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe combination of the heads A A2 C' G2, tubes'B, of suitable dust-collecting fabric or texture, shaft F, and Valves c c2, substan# tially as set forth.

3. The combination of the heads A A2, shaft F, valves c e2, ratchet-wheel G, adapted to be revolved, and the tubes B, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the'lieads AA2, tubes B, posts D, and adj listing-screws M, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the heads Al A2, tubes B, hoops h, rods i', springs i3, and cam g4, adapted to be revolved beneath said rods, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the heads A2 C2, casing g', valve c2, springs g2, and revolving shaftA F, substantially as set forth.

7. 1n dust-collectors, the combination of a dust-collecting conduit and a trough for receiving the dust from said conduit, having; a hinged valve provided with a projecting` arm, with a moving valve intermediate between said conduit and trough, adapted in its movements to close communication between the coilduit and trough, and to strike the projecting arm of the hinged valve so as thereby to open said valve, whereby the several parts will operate as set forth.

8. The combination of casing g', having the recess g5, valve L2, having; the rigid arm L? and weighted arm L3, andthe plate G2, havirg` the port L', substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set 4o our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY FRUEN. SAMUEL POTTS. CHARLES JONES ELLIOTT. Witnesses:

G. N. WooDWARD, LOUIS FEESER, Sr. 

